Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-05-05
A STUDY OF SEED.
The Numerous Advantages of Change and
| of Judicious Selection.

A STUDY OF SEED.
The Numerous Advantages of Change ana
of Judicious Selection.
Although but little has been written
ON this subject it is a matter worthy
the most careful consideration OF all
who have any thing to do with seeds.
That great benefits are derived in some
cases from changing seed. not only
from one climate to another, but even
to different soils, can not be doubted.
Seeds often become soil-sick and
climate-sick, like people, need a change
and are affected benefcially when that
change is made. 1t is generally con-
sidered that all fruits, vegetables and
seeds do best when grown in their own
native soil. Is this true? Is it fact
applicable to all seeds and plantsP
Take cotton, for instance. Cotton seed
was brought to Texas from Yucatan
where it was found to be indigenous.
Being planted and cultiv ated in Texas
it produced better staple and more OF
it than in Yucatan. Seed was i'm ported
from Africa, British India and the
islands of the Mediterranean into the
Southern States with the same result,
showing that cotton, although trop-
| ical plant, does better in temperate re-
gions. It is a noted fact that the fur
| Their North wheat can be grown the
shorter it's period of maturity. Seed
taken from Canada to Kentucky, Ohio
| or Colorado, ripens earlier than the
| wheat raised in these States. But the
seed the second year loses this quality
| to great extent and follows in the
| same line of the wheats of these States.
In Sweden advantage is taken of this
in annually bringing seed wheat from
the northern extremity of the Gulf OF
Bothnia, nearly under the Arctic circle,
and sowing it in Land so much exposed
to cold that ordinary wheat
has scarcely time to ripen.
Wheats from the Mediterranean
their own native habitat-when
brought to this climate improve 80
greatly in color, yield and quality that
they, when compared, can not be
j recognized as the same. OF the 135
different varieties of wheat, .21 of oats,
Is of barley and 8 of rye received at
the Colorado Agricultural College from
foreign countries thS asst seven years,
not one but has made better grain
: than that received. Changing seed
| has long been practiced by few
farmers in the different States and Oft
en- with excellent results-but the
change must be frequently repeated.
Some seeds run out in short time and
become worthless because the soil and
climate do not agree with them
and often from want of judicious
selection. This is the fact with
field crops to a greater degree than
garden vegetables. For instance,
onion seeds coming from Africa and
grown in the Eastern States do well
for one or two seasons and then be-
come worthless. Potatoes taken from
a cold climate to the Southern States
grow well the first year, but fail to
make plump tubers and a good crop
after that Oats coming from Canada,
! Scotland and Ireland make a larger
Weld in some of the Western States
than where they came from for one or
two seasons, and after that lapse into
the same condition of production and
| quality as other oats. One reason for
this is that when they are grown out
of their own range (every plant has its
native region) they soon deteriorate
and require to be renewed from seed
grown in that native region.
| Another reason for changing seed
from one locality to another is that the
accidents and insects that prey upon
them prefer some varieties to others,
and the accidents and insects are more
abundant in those localities where the
varieties upon which they prey are
most cultivated. While change Of
seed is beneficial, selection, very i'm
portant and closely connected with it,
should claim as much if not more at
tention from the farming community.
Much is being done by few to make
our best seeds better. Selecting the
best, crossing like species, hybridizing,
fertilizing, guilty ating, irrigating and
transpl anting are all resorted to to ac-
complish the work SO necessary and
important to making the base of all oc-
equations successful. Selection pro-
notes vitality, insures termination, adj
vances growth, defines the character of
plants, increases the yield and furnishes
better grain for reproduction. Plants
can be improved easily as stock. Every
favor bestowed upon the cereals, in
parti cular, shows corresponding sat
isfaction in yield and quality. By a
judicious system of selection the period
of maturity of corn, wheat, oats. bar
ley, rye and other seeds can be greatly
shortened. This is done by taking for
seed the ears or heads that mature
earliest. By selection larger heads,
more perfect grain and greater
amount of it can be grown on a given
space with the same fertility and at the
same expense. The slower by the same
means can be reduced and the grain
increased. Seed must be selected every
year. The ''seed-patch,' like the yeast
pot, must be kept full and fresh to
propagate the best, not only to make it
better, but to keep up the standard OF
those that have reached the limit OF
improvement, if such there be.-Prof
e. B. Blos,st, in N. Y. Tribune.